We're finally back home.
The trip back always seems to take longer, and require more energy, than the trip there (wherever there is). We got home about half an hour ago, and I've successfully unpacked (a task that I loathe), and am now looking forward to a bottle of Brut (which, with great foresight, I purchased before leaving for Thailand). We're going to stay awake just long enough to have a toast to the New Year which will occur here in about an hour and half, then I think we'll sleeeep!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Update #2 from Koh Samet
Christmas has come and gone, but being on a tropical island and in a Buddhist country, it was not much of an event. However, because this is a touristy island, there was lots of kitsch (imagine shiny elf-hats and plastic reindeer antlers the light up!). It was still pretty fun.
We've been pretty relaxed, not doing too much of anything, getting some sunshine and drinking good Thai beer (the subtle Singha is my favourite, while Brian opts for the more robust Chang).
We've also done some fun stuff - motorcycling, hiking, swimming and snorkelling; but our time here is winding to an end, as we are leaving here on the 30th in order to catch our flight out of Bangkok on the 31st.
We'll be home in time to celebrate the New Year in Japan.
We've been pretty relaxed, not doing too much of anything, getting some sunshine and drinking good Thai beer (the subtle Singha is my favourite, while Brian opts for the more robust Chang).
We've also done some fun stuff - motorcycling, hiking, swimming and snorkelling; but our time here is winding to an end, as we are leaving here on the 30th in order to catch our flight out of Bangkok on the 31st.
We'll be home in time to celebrate the New Year in Japan.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
From Koh Samet
Well, we've been here on Koh Samet for about a week and are really enjoying our time.
Although, in our brief time here, I managed to slice open one finger on a mosquito-coil holder, get another finger slammed in a door (ouch!), and burn my calf on my motocycle exhaust pipe (stupid!). However, all's well that ends well and we really are having a good time.
We are stying in the south part of the island, at 'candlelight' beach, which is not as noisy or populous as other parts of Koh Samet. On our two rented motorbikes explored pretty much the whole island. It was good fun to get more practice with off-road motorbiking, though some of the roads furthest south were a bit challenging, they were great.
Internet access here is limited (and non-existent on the beach we're staying at), so updates will remain sporadic!
Although, in our brief time here, I managed to slice open one finger on a mosquito-coil holder, get another finger slammed in a door (ouch!), and burn my calf on my motocycle exhaust pipe (stupid!). However, all's well that ends well and we really are having a good time.
We are stying in the south part of the island, at 'candlelight' beach, which is not as noisy or populous as other parts of Koh Samet. On our two rented motorbikes explored pretty much the whole island. It was good fun to get more practice with off-road motorbiking, though some of the roads furthest south were a bit challenging, they were great.
Internet access here is limited (and non-existent on the beach we're staying at), so updates will remain sporadic!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
One night in Bangkok
We arrived safely in Bangkok and enjoyed a few hours sleep at our hotel. We are now breakfasting and planning to soon make our way to the bus terminal!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Quickly from Taipei
We're now in the Taipei airport waiting for our connecting flight. Blogging from an ipod...had a rare train delay in Japan,but no problem. 3 hrs in Taipei was dull but soon boarding our flight to Bangkok!
Leaving for Thailand
Well, it's December 16th, and the Bangkok airports are definitely open, and we definitely have confirmed our flight to Thailand! We fly out today on China Airlines at 4:30 p.m. and will return in the evening on New Year's Eve.
We want to seek out a nice, quiet beach scene, and Thailand has lots to offer. In fact, too many idyllic islands to choose from! The last time we were in Thailand we went to Ko Lanta, which is in the north of Thailand. Before that, we went to Ko Chang, near Trat. Those islands were great, but as we get older, we don't enjoy the multiple-flights, buses, and ferries, and more buses that it often requires to get to our final destination. So, this time we're doing something more daring - we're going to strike out for Ko Samet, a small island that's not all that far from Bangkok.
We're landing at the new Bangkok airport (Suvarnabhumi) after midnight, but have reserved a room at the Sawasdee Sukhumvit hotel, near the Ekamai bus station. We intend to catch a bus in the morning to Ban Phe pier, where we'll then be able to catch a ferry or a speedboat to the island.
We're not sure how much internet access we'll have, or whether we'll be able to blog, but we'll try!
In case we can't get to a pc, we'll wish everyone a Merry Christmas now!
We want to seek out a nice, quiet beach scene, and Thailand has lots to offer. In fact, too many idyllic islands to choose from! The last time we were in Thailand we went to Ko Lanta, which is in the north of Thailand. Before that, we went to Ko Chang, near Trat. Those islands were great, but as we get older, we don't enjoy the multiple-flights, buses, and ferries, and more buses that it often requires to get to our final destination. So, this time we're doing something more daring - we're going to strike out for Ko Samet, a small island that's not all that far from Bangkok.
We're landing at the new Bangkok airport (Suvarnabhumi) after midnight, but have reserved a room at the Sawasdee Sukhumvit hotel, near the Ekamai bus station. We intend to catch a bus in the morning to Ban Phe pier, where we'll then be able to catch a ferry or a speedboat to the island.
We're not sure how much internet access we'll have, or whether we'll be able to blog, but we'll try!
In case we can't get to a pc, we'll wish everyone a Merry Christmas now!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Building a New PC
Ever since Brian cannibalized and rebuilt his PC, upgrading much of the hardware, he's been nagging me - I mean, suggesting to me - to do the same.
While I enjoyed helping Brian on his pc rebuilds, I was reluctant to lose the perfect setup that I'd achieved with my machine. Rebuilding would mean losing my operating system (OS), and all my great programs, and, most important of all, all my settings that I'd customized over time to be just right for me.
However, my motherboard could only use an AGP graphics card, which are going the way of the dinosaur, and considering how I wanted to upgrade my graphics card (the nVidia 5200 just wasn't cutting it), in the end, Brian prevailed. For Xmas, he bought me a new mobo (motherboard), powersupply, CPU, cooler, and ram, and together on Sunday we spent the entire day (from about 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) taking apart and rebuilding my PC. The longest part of that was actually installing a new OS (Vista this time - don't give me any guff, it's getting the job done!) and then adding all the stuff back that I wanted.
Before basically destroying my setup, I sat down and made a list of things to do. Since I was going to stop using two of my older hard disks and only use my one large disk (1tb), I partitioned that disk, alotting 100 GB for Vista, 250 for photos, and 250 for documents (including videos). So, I still have 400 gigs unalotted. I copied everything valuable that I wanted to keep onto the new drive. I also made a list of favourite programs that I wanted to remember to re-install. And, to ensure that I kept my Firefox browser just the way I liked it, I downloaded and used this free program called Mozbackup. This let me very easily (nice, simple GUI) save my FF profile. When I started FF on my new machine, I just installed that same program and 'restored' the profile. All my bookmarks, addons and even passwords were successfully transported!
For those who care, my new mobo is a Gigabyte EP43-DS3R, and we went for the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor. We added 4gb of RAM, and an Radeon X1300 graphics card that Brian had left over. I'll probably upgrade that soon, but for now it's doing great.
Here are a few pics:
My pc tower, before taking out the old stuff:
Inside the tower (still old stuff):
The guts of the old setup:
We were too excited to try out the new build that we didn't take pics, but I can say that since the new power supply is modular, it's much, much tidier inside and there is no more nasty nest of wires!
While I enjoyed helping Brian on his pc rebuilds, I was reluctant to lose the perfect setup that I'd achieved with my machine. Rebuilding would mean losing my operating system (OS), and all my great programs, and, most important of all, all my settings that I'd customized over time to be just right for me.
However, my motherboard could only use an AGP graphics card, which are going the way of the dinosaur, and considering how I wanted to upgrade my graphics card (the nVidia 5200 just wasn't cutting it), in the end, Brian prevailed. For Xmas, he bought me a new mobo (motherboard), powersupply, CPU, cooler, and ram, and together on Sunday we spent the entire day (from about 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) taking apart and rebuilding my PC. The longest part of that was actually installing a new OS (Vista this time - don't give me any guff, it's getting the job done!) and then adding all the stuff back that I wanted.
Before basically destroying my setup, I sat down and made a list of things to do. Since I was going to stop using two of my older hard disks and only use my one large disk (1tb), I partitioned that disk, alotting 100 GB for Vista, 250 for photos, and 250 for documents (including videos). So, I still have 400 gigs unalotted. I copied everything valuable that I wanted to keep onto the new drive. I also made a list of favourite programs that I wanted to remember to re-install. And, to ensure that I kept my Firefox browser just the way I liked it, I downloaded and used this free program called Mozbackup. This let me very easily (nice, simple GUI) save my FF profile. When I started FF on my new machine, I just installed that same program and 'restored' the profile. All my bookmarks, addons and even passwords were successfully transported!
For those who care, my new mobo is a Gigabyte EP43-DS3R, and we went for the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor. We added 4gb of RAM, and an Radeon X1300 graphics card that Brian had left over. I'll probably upgrade that soon, but for now it's doing great.
Here are a few pics:
My pc tower, before taking out the old stuff:
Inside the tower (still old stuff):
The guts of the old setup:
We were too excited to try out the new build that we didn't take pics, but I can say that since the new power supply is modular, it's much, much tidier inside and there is no more nasty nest of wires!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Cars and Japan
Brian and I love our cars. We both drive Mitsubishis - Brian has a Pajero (marketed as the Montero in North America) and I have a Pajero Mini (not sold in N.A.!). We both enjoy driving, and I think neither of us can imagine living without wheels (apologies to all the enviro-freaks).
This is my car:
And this is Brian's:
Import cars in Japan are a status symbol, but we'd never buy anything but Japanese as long as we're here. The cars are well-made and durable (our cars are more than ten years old), and made for Japan's narrow roads. They're also affordable.
The auto industry fairly drives Japan's economy. And, as we know, the American auto industry drives that economy, too.
We've been following news on the Big Three quite avidly, especially as our main client happens to be an auto parts manufacturer. The crisis in America has had a huge effect on the world economy - the European markets as well as even the Japan markets are suffering. And yet - I had to post this humourous image that we found via Digg (click image for a larger version):
(original image from http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/auto-industry-buy-our-shitty-cars.php)
This is my car:
And this is Brian's:
Import cars in Japan are a status symbol, but we'd never buy anything but Japanese as long as we're here. The cars are well-made and durable (our cars are more than ten years old), and made for Japan's narrow roads. They're also affordable.
The auto industry fairly drives Japan's economy. And, as we know, the American auto industry drives that economy, too.
We've been following news on the Big Three quite avidly, especially as our main client happens to be an auto parts manufacturer. The crisis in America has had a huge effect on the world economy - the European markets as well as even the Japan markets are suffering. And yet - I had to post this humourous image that we found via Digg (click image for a larger version):
(original image from http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/auto-industry-buy-our-shitty-cars.php)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Death by Overwork
As I look forward to an extraordinarily long holiday (three weeks off), I also feel a bit guilty. Japanese workers simply do not get that kind of time off; just the other day, my hairdresser was lamenting having only two days off for the New Year holidays (the 1st and 2nd).
This is a culture where hard work is respected highly, where slacking off is frowned on, and taking a holiday is fairly unheard of. Very often, company culture endorses service zangyo (サービス残業） - 'voluntary' unpaid overtime that workers are more or less forced to do; employees have been known to work more eighty hours a month overtime. We occasionally read in the news about someone literally dying from overworking - there is even a word for 'death by overwork': karoushi （過労死）.
In recent years, after several companies (including Toyota) were successfully sued for causing karoushi, some companies have tried to reduce the amount of overtime (both paid and 'voluntary'). Because leaving the office at five o'clock is seen as slacking off, many employees experience pressure to stay, and it is bad form to leave before the boss. So, these companies have adopted procedures to force people to leave on time at least one day a week. For example, it may be one person's job to go through the company and force people to leave if they are still there; another strategy that's been adopted is to require the employee to first get permission to stay late, and then to write a report about why exactly he had to work late.
Not bad tactics, and while some men enjoy the chance to get home early, typically he is obliged to participate in a company party which is, of course, held on the day of the week when everyone finishes 'early'!!
For more information, check out the Wikipedia article here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kar%C5%8Dshi
or
the Economist article here at http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10329261
This is a culture where hard work is respected highly, where slacking off is frowned on, and taking a holiday is fairly unheard of. Very often, company culture endorses service zangyo (サービス残業） - 'voluntary' unpaid overtime that workers are more or less forced to do; employees have been known to work more eighty hours a month overtime. We occasionally read in the news about someone literally dying from overworking - there is even a word for 'death by overwork': karoushi （過労死）.
In recent years, after several companies (including Toyota) were successfully sued for causing karoushi, some companies have tried to reduce the amount of overtime (both paid and 'voluntary'). Because leaving the office at five o'clock is seen as slacking off, many employees experience pressure to stay, and it is bad form to leave before the boss. So, these companies have adopted procedures to force people to leave on time at least one day a week. For example, it may be one person's job to go through the company and force people to leave if they are still there; another strategy that's been adopted is to require the employee to first get permission to stay late, and then to write a report about why exactly he had to work late.
Not bad tactics, and while some men enjoy the chance to get home early, typically he is obliged to participate in a company party which is, of course, held on the day of the week when everyone finishes 'early'!!
For more information, check out the Wikipedia article here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kar%C5%8Dshi
or
the Economist article here at http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10329261
Monday, December 08, 2008
O-Soji (大掃除)
One of the New Year's customs here is O-soji, or, big cleaning. It's like Spring Cleaning, but in winter. It's also part of the tradition here of starting the new year completely fresh and free of the unpleasantness of the past year; like starting of with a clean slate.
On Saturday, the day after our final staff meeting at work, followed by an evening of drinking and karaoke, we decided to spend the day doing our own o-soji. We're a bit ahead of schedule, but it felt great to stuff several garbage bags full of old and useless things we'd accumulated, and we were able to enjoy a Sunday free of the weight of all the clutter.
Today I begin the week by going out of town for a few days, which I always enjoy. And it is also our final week of work before our holidays and trip to sunny Thailand!
On Saturday, the day after our final staff meeting at work, followed by an evening of drinking and karaoke, we decided to spend the day doing our own o-soji. We're a bit ahead of schedule, but it felt great to stuff several garbage bags full of old and useless things we'd accumulated, and we were able to enjoy a Sunday free of the weight of all the clutter.
Today I begin the week by going out of town for a few days, which I always enjoy. And it is also our final week of work before our holidays and trip to sunny Thailand!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Some More Wild Monkeys-in-Japan pics
On Sunday, since we were a bit tired to ride, we instead packed our cameras and went for a drive around Mt. Fuji.
Though the Fuji photos were merely ---okay, before heading up the mountain road, we cruised by the 'wild monkey hangout' and were fortunate to get yet more wild monkey pics. Oh, yes, by the way, these are wild monkeys. Not tame, not used to people. And they live less than a kilometre from us. They're kind of cute... okay, they're not really cute at all...(click on the photo for a larger image):
Though the Fuji photos were merely ---okay, before heading up the mountain road, we cruised by the 'wild monkey hangout' and were fortunate to get yet more wild monkey pics. Oh, yes, by the way, these are wild monkeys. Not tame, not used to people. And they live less than a kilometre from us. They're kind of cute... okay, they're not really cute at all...(click on the photo for a larger image):
Sunday, November 30, 2008
馬刺し
Ohisashiburi (It's been a long time, hasn't it?)!
Things have been unrelentingly busy here, but I have time today to share a little of what we have seen and done recently.
During a recent business trip to Tokyo, we visited a few fantastic camera shops in Shinjuku, and Tracy bought a used Nikkor 50mm prime (F1.4!) lens. It works on her D50 perfectly, but on my D40x only the light metering (and not the autofocus) works. Nevertheless, the D40 has been wearing that lens for a few weekends, waiting for some sunshine to really test it out.
Before that chance, though, I drove past a butcher shop in Gotemba, and I witnessed their newly-arriving hoofed delights under cloudy skies. Too bad they whisked the carcasses from the truck into the shop before I could safely pull over and run back for authentic snapshots. Luckily, the side of the shop had some cheerful billboards extolling the process of bringing raw horsemeat to your table...
Basashi (raw horse sashimi) is much more delicious than it looks, I swear! The local eatery that carried this delicacy has sadly gone out of business, but we'll post again if we find another...
Today, finally, the sun came out and warmed the day up to very comfortable temperatures under cloudless skies, so we left early for a drive. The changing of the autumn leaves already passed, but the susuki-grass remained for a seasonal golden touch.
This is Tracy's view with her Nikon 18-200:
And my view (with her 50mm and a polarizing filter):
We'll both be 'on the road' for the next few days on business, but hope to catch up again soon!
Things have been unrelentingly busy here, but I have time today to share a little of what we have seen and done recently.
During a recent business trip to Tokyo, we visited a few fantastic camera shops in Shinjuku, and Tracy bought a used Nikkor 50mm prime (F1.4!) lens. It works on her D50 perfectly, but on my D40x only the light metering (and not the autofocus) works. Nevertheless, the D40 has been wearing that lens for a few weekends, waiting for some sunshine to really test it out.
Before that chance, though, I drove past a butcher shop in Gotemba, and I witnessed their newly-arriving hoofed delights under cloudy skies. Too bad they whisked the carcasses from the truck into the shop before I could safely pull over and run back for authentic snapshots. Luckily, the side of the shop had some cheerful billboards extolling the process of bringing raw horsemeat to your table...
Basashi (raw horse sashimi) is much more delicious than it looks, I swear! The local eatery that carried this delicacy has sadly gone out of business, but we'll post again if we find another...
Today, finally, the sun came out and warmed the day up to very comfortable temperatures under cloudless skies, so we left early for a drive. The changing of the autumn leaves already passed, but the susuki-grass remained for a seasonal golden touch.
This is Tracy's view with her Nikon 18-200:
And my view (with her 50mm and a polarizing filter):
We'll both be 'on the road' for the next few days on business, but hope to catch up again soon!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
We're wishing all our American friends and family a thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable holiday!
FYI -Many Japanese have never even heard of Thanksgiving, and most have never eaten turkey. Discussing holidays is always a fun cultural exchange, and I've discovered that my favourite Japanese holiday is New Year's (more on that next month!)
As for Thanksgiving, though Canadians do have a Thanksgiving day, which is a Monday in October, my impression of American Thanksgiving is that it is more...more...well, just MORE. More family comes over, more turkey is served, there are more days off! And I even heard that family members fly around the country to gather for the feast.
Have a great long weekend!
FYI -Many Japanese have never even heard of Thanksgiving, and most have never eaten turkey. Discussing holidays is always a fun cultural exchange, and I've discovered that my favourite Japanese holiday is New Year's (more on that next month!)
As for Thanksgiving, though Canadians do have a Thanksgiving day, which is a Monday in October, my impression of American Thanksgiving is that it is more...more...well, just MORE. More family comes over, more turkey is served, there are more days off! And I even heard that family members fly around the country to gather for the feast.
Have a great long weekend!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thailand - holidays or troubles?
Winter vacation is coming up quickly - more quickly than we'd realized. Fuel surcharges and other factors resulted in us cancelling our plans to go to North America, and we sort of figured we'd stay in Japan. However, after some extensive online searching, we found a fairly cheap flight to Thailand.
Though we've both been to Thailand at least three times before, the deal on the tickets (China Airlines) was too good to pass up. Of course, hours after our purchase we turned on CNN only to see the headlines that Thailand is experiencing some political unrest and anti-government supporters have seized both Bangkok airports. Ha!
Well, I'm fairly confident that the airports will be reopened in the next few days, and definitely by the time we're ready to fly in three weeks.
To read more about the troubles in Thailand, check out this article from AP:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_THAILAND_POLITICAL_UNREST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Though we've both been to Thailand at least three times before, the deal on the tickets (China Airlines) was too good to pass up. Of course, hours after our purchase we turned on CNN only to see the headlines that Thailand is experiencing some political unrest and anti-government supporters have seized both Bangkok airports. Ha!
Well, I'm fairly confident that the airports will be reopened in the next few days, and definitely by the time we're ready to fly in three weeks.
To read more about the troubles in Thailand, check out this article from AP:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_THAILAND_POLITICAL_UNREST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Everyday Listening and Kanzen Master - Nihongo Study
I'm the queen of Japanese textbooks. I've probably spent more money (and less time!) on textbooks in the last decade than most other people. I've got books, some of them barely opened, piled up and falling off of shelves, stacked in closets, and stuffed under fashion magazines.
That said, there are at least two books that I find useful. One of these is Mainichi-no-kikitori Nihongo （毎日のききとり日本語）(Everyday Listening in Japanese). The units are very short (two brief pages of questions to based on the audio component), and the audio is short, too. A unit should only take about fifteen minutes a day, and the idea is that you're supposed to do a unit a day (I'm lazy and only manage about two or three units a week).
There are two levels - basic and intermediate -but beware the basic level is still using cassettes and the new edition should be released soon. For now, you can get the intermediate level here at Kinokuniya.
http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/htm/4893586327.html
For Level 2 preparation for grammar patterns and kanji I really like the Kanzen Master series. I currently slogging through Kanzen Master Kanji. You can see it here at Amazon.jp.
And now I've actually got to prepare for my actual lesson since my teacher will be here any minute...
That said, there are at least two books that I find useful. One of these is Mainichi-no-kikitori Nihongo （毎日のききとり日本語）(Everyday Listening in Japanese). The units are very short (two brief pages of questions to based on the audio component), and the audio is short, too. A unit should only take about fifteen minutes a day, and the idea is that you're supposed to do a unit a day (I'm lazy and only manage about two or three units a week).
There are two levels - basic and intermediate -but beware the basic level is still using cassettes and the new edition should be released soon. For now, you can get the intermediate level here at Kinokuniya.
http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/htm/4893586327.html
For Level 2 preparation for grammar patterns and kanji I really like the Kanzen Master series. I currently slogging through Kanzen Master Kanji. You can see it here at Amazon.jp.
And now I've actually got to prepare for my actual lesson since my teacher will be here any minute...
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wild Monkeys and big Spiders
Today is a national holiday here - Labour Thanksgiving Day. So, taking advantage of the mostly sunny morning, we took the bikes out for another good ride.
The other day, Brian had seen some monkeys playing on an old set of monkey bars (how appropriate) that sit on the grounds of a small temple. We cruised back there today with the small camera in tow, just in case.
Luckily, the monkeys like to get warm in the winter sunshine just as much as we do:
Not seen here are all the other monkeys hanging out in the trees and playing in the little shrine higher up on the hill.
We also stopped to get some photos of a particularly juicy spider. You can't really see how big it is by the photo, but body is probably just slightly smaller than the palm of my hand. The legs make it bigger... this is one of the things I don't like about trail riding sometimes - you feel the web, you know the spider is on you, but you're just not sure where!
The other day, Brian had seen some monkeys playing on an old set of monkey bars (how appropriate) that sit on the grounds of a small temple. We cruised back there today with the small camera in tow, just in case.
Luckily, the monkeys like to get warm in the winter sunshine just as much as we do:
Not seen here are all the other monkeys hanging out in the trees and playing in the little shrine higher up on the hill.
We also stopped to get some photos of a particularly juicy spider. You can't really see how big it is by the photo, but body is probably just slightly smaller than the palm of my hand. The legs make it bigger... this is one of the things I don't like about trail riding sometimes - you feel the web, you know the spider is on you, but you're just not sure where!
Bonenkai with Curves
Saturday night I went to a Bonenkai (year end party) organized by Curves, the women-only gym I joined a few months ago.
I was certain that I wouldn't drink much and would be home quite early, since this was, after all, going to be a party of middle-aged Japanese ladies.
Ha! These people could drink me under the table; Van and I even got coaxed into a nijikai (second party) doing karaoke at a snack bar (snacks are local, sort of dingy places frequented by older people).
Lots of beer and shochu later, I did make it home, but not so early:-)
Van and one of the Curves staff doing Madonna:
A couple of other hard party animals:
I was certain that I wouldn't drink much and would be home quite early, since this was, after all, going to be a party of middle-aged Japanese ladies.
Ha! These people could drink me under the table; Van and I even got coaxed into a nijikai (second party) doing karaoke at a snack bar (snacks are local, sort of dingy places frequented by older people).
Lots of beer and shochu later, I did make it home, but not so early:-)
Van and one of the Curves staff doing Madonna:
A couple of other hard party animals:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
All Good Things Must End
Nearly two years ago, a very nice yet very cheap chain izakaya, Ryoba, opened a franchise right here in Susono.
But less than a week ago, we discovered that it has closed up for good, in bankruptcy and with the owner having disappeared...
Many good times were had there, but change is probably good, and we heard a rumour that another chain izakaya will be taking over.
Ryoba - before bankrupcy:
But less than a week ago, we discovered that it has closed up for good, in bankruptcy and with the owner having disappeared...
Many good times were had there, but change is probably good, and we heard a rumour that another chain izakaya will be taking over.
Ryoba - before bankrupcy:
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Christmas Cake in Japan
Christmas cake, or fruitcake, is a traditional food eaten at and around Christmas in Canada. Well, specifically, Montreal. For more specifics and to find one of the best kind of cakes, check out Bernicky’s Blog.
It was this post that inspired me to write my own about Christmas cake in Japan. Traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, here Christmas cake is kind of sponge cake with frosting and strawberries; it actually reminds me more of a birthday cake and bears little resemblance to what I think of as Christmas cake.
But it is the metaphor of the Christmas cake that makes me laugh. It is said that women are like Christmas cake – best had by the 24th (birthday), still okay on the 25th, but fairly stale by the 26th. This is just humour and people are marrying later these days, but I still find it funny.
Oh, in case anyone is wondering, I was past my sell-by date before I even came to Japan:-)
It was this post that inspired me to write my own about Christmas cake in Japan. Traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, here Christmas cake is kind of sponge cake with frosting and strawberries; it actually reminds me more of a birthday cake and bears little resemblance to what I think of as Christmas cake.
But it is the metaphor of the Christmas cake that makes me laugh. It is said that women are like Christmas cake – best had by the 24th (birthday), still okay on the 25th, but fairly stale by the 26th. This is just humour and people are marrying later these days, but I still find it funny.
Oh, in case anyone is wondering, I was past my sell-by date before I even came to Japan:-)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Weekend R&R
The weekend was great - especially so since I had Monday off as well.
Despite a bit of rain on Saturday and some gloomy skies on Sunday, we rode both days. It felt good to be back on the bikes again after so many weeks without even a short ride.
We didn't do anything too spectacular, but still found ourselves in the hills of Susono, exploring some old and new terrain. Construction of the new expressway (the dai-ni Tomei), which has been in progress for several years, has destroyed some of our old trails, but has also opened up new avenues to exploration. At least until the expressway opens (estimate another five to ten years I think), we'll have this constantly changing territory to ourselves, at least on Sundays!
Despite a bit of rain on Saturday and some gloomy skies on Sunday, we rode both days. It felt good to be back on the bikes again after so many weeks without even a short ride.
We didn't do anything too spectacular, but still found ourselves in the hills of Susono, exploring some old and new terrain. Construction of the new expressway (the dai-ni Tomei), which has been in progress for several years, has destroyed some of our old trails, but has also opened up new avenues to exploration. At least until the expressway opens (estimate another five to ten years I think), we'll have this constantly changing territory to ourselves, at least on Sundays!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Formalities of the Enkai
A couple of days ago I posted about bonenkai season, and how it will shortly be here.
Enkai (parties), which are usually big nomikai (drinking parties), are mainly hosted at izakaya (bars) or restaurants that specialize in catering to large groups. Many places even advertise special set prices for all-you-can-drink with a set course and have rooms called the enkai-jo.
The parties are great fun, but they are also often fraught with formality. Even in casual parties, no-one must ever have a sip of beer (or beverage of choice) before the kampai (the toast, which marks the beginning of the party). But especially when the enkai is with business associates, the status or rank of each guest present is a huge consideration for how the evening will play out. The organizer of the party anxiously looks around and consults with colleagues to try to figure out who ranks where on the business scale. Once this has been determined, the most senior (highest ranking) person is requested to do the hajime no aisatsu - a speech that opens the party. Then, the second most senior person does the toast, everyone says kampai (cheers) and takes a sip of their drink. The party has begun - but there is still the official closing to be done.
The official closing - shime-no-aisatsu - is performed by the third most senior person present. This person closes the party by doing a shime - a series of hand-claps. There are several varieties of the shime: the ippon-jime (one hand-clap style), the sanbone-jime (three hand-clap style), and the bonzai shime, where everyone throws their hands in the air. The person who conducts the shime decides which style to use.
Once the shime has been done, the party is officially over and everyone goes their separate ways - or, they head off to a ni-ji-kai, a less formal second-party, to continue drinking.
Enkai (parties), which are usually big nomikai (drinking parties), are mainly hosted at izakaya (bars) or restaurants that specialize in catering to large groups. Many places even advertise special set prices for all-you-can-drink with a set course and have rooms called the enkai-jo.
The parties are great fun, but they are also often fraught with formality. Even in casual parties, no-one must ever have a sip of beer (or beverage of choice) before the kampai (the toast, which marks the beginning of the party). But especially when the enkai is with business associates, the status or rank of each guest present is a huge consideration for how the evening will play out. The organizer of the party anxiously looks around and consults with colleagues to try to figure out who ranks where on the business scale. Once this has been determined, the most senior (highest ranking) person is requested to do the hajime no aisatsu - a speech that opens the party. Then, the second most senior person does the toast, everyone says kampai (cheers) and takes a sip of their drink. The party has begun - but there is still the official closing to be done.
The official closing - shime-no-aisatsu - is performed by the third most senior person present. This person closes the party by doing a shime - a series of hand-claps. There are several varieties of the shime: the ippon-jime (one hand-clap style), the sanbone-jime (three hand-clap style), and the bonzai shime, where everyone throws their hands in the air. The person who conducts the shime decides which style to use.
Once the shime has been done, the party is officially over and everyone goes their separate ways - or, they head off to a ni-ji-kai, a less formal second-party, to continue drinking.
TGIF!
I haven't been so happy to see a Friday night in a while. After a pretty busy month, I'm ready to breathe a sigh of ... well, of TGIF-ness.
We don't really have any big plans for the weekend, but since the weather is going to be glorious tomorrow (according to the most recent forecast), we'll likely head out for one of our long bike rides, followed by a stop at the beer hall for a drink on the lawn!
I've got Monday off, as well, so with a bit of focus, a re-seeking of my zen, I may just be able to conquer this bout of adult-onset attention-deficit-disorder I seem to have come down with.
We don't really have any big plans for the weekend, but since the weather is going to be glorious tomorrow (according to the most recent forecast), we'll likely head out for one of our long bike rides, followed by a stop at the beer hall for a drink on the lawn!
I've got Monday off, as well, so with a bit of focus, a re-seeking of my zen, I may just be able to conquer this bout of adult-onset attention-deficit-disorder I seem to have come down with.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wintery Winds
After a cold and rainy weekend, we are still experiencing very chilly, winter-like weather. We had a high of about 13 degrees (C) today. Though that's not all that cold, keep in mind that houses and apartments in this region are not insulated at all, which means it's about 20 degrees inside.
I don't mind this at all. Actually, not only is it far more temperate than my old hometown, it is also nice to be able to have some contrast, to have the warmth offset by the chill . There is nothing nicer than to tuck one's legs under the kotatsu (see pics below), turn on the TV, and listen to the winds rage outside, all while sipping a nice glass of wine in total comfort.
This is my kotatsu - a table with a heater underneath! (pics from 2005...)
I love my kotatsu. This is one of the things I couldn't live without. In fact, I tried to live without it for about two years, but was constantly lamenting my loss and eventually had to have a new one.
Tonight, in fact, I am also looking forward to soon sitting under my kotatsu - my upper body a little bit chilly, while the rest of me stays warm under the blanketed table.
Brian likes the kotatsu too, though not quite as much as me!
I don't mind this at all. Actually, not only is it far more temperate than my old hometown, it is also nice to be able to have some contrast, to have the warmth offset by the chill . There is nothing nicer than to tuck one's legs under the kotatsu (see pics below), turn on the TV, and listen to the winds rage outside, all while sipping a nice glass of wine in total comfort.
This is my kotatsu - a table with a heater underneath! (pics from 2005...)
I love my kotatsu. This is one of the things I couldn't live without. In fact, I tried to live without it for about two years, but was constantly lamenting my loss and eventually had to have a new one.
Tonight, in fact, I am also looking forward to soon sitting under my kotatsu - my upper body a little bit chilly, while the rest of me stays warm under the blanketed table.
Brian likes the kotatsu too, though not quite as much as me!
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Red, Green and Blue - Trash in Susono
It's finally the weekend, and it feels like the first day off we've had in weeks. Considering that last weekend was consumed by the conference and working dinners, it really is the first day off in a while. Of course, it's raining!
But on the bright side, this morning is 'umetate gomi' - or, landfill garbage, morning.
Sounds silly that I'm excited about this, but Japan, and my city in particular, have very strict trash regulations. We have to buy special trash bags which have our city's name stamped on them; they are semi-transparent and the lettering comes in three colors: red for burnable garbage, blue for plastics, and green for stuff that has to go to the landfill (such as ceramics, broken glass, light bulbs, etc). And anything not for these bags is for recycling and must be brought to and separated at our local recycling station, which operates twice a month (on the first and third Wednesday, from 6 to 8 a.m.).
Of course, we have to separate our trash carefully, and putting the wrong thing in the wrong bag (for example, a can in a red-lettered bag) results in that bag being labeled by the trash men as 'in error', and left at the trash collection point. Often, a kind neighbor will even carry the bag back upstairs and leave it at your door.
Given all these regulations, and the fact that landfill trash is only picked up once every two months (on the second Saturday of the odd month), it is not surprising that I've begun to lead a life dominated by trash, and become excited by these collection days!
But on the bright side, this morning is 'umetate gomi' - or, landfill garbage, morning.
Sounds silly that I'm excited about this, but Japan, and my city in particular, have very strict trash regulations. We have to buy special trash bags which have our city's name stamped on them; they are semi-transparent and the lettering comes in three colors: red for burnable garbage, blue for plastics, and green for stuff that has to go to the landfill (such as ceramics, broken glass, light bulbs, etc). And anything not for these bags is for recycling and must be brought to and separated at our local recycling station, which operates twice a month (on the first and third Wednesday, from 6 to 8 a.m.).
Of course, we have to separate our trash carefully, and putting the wrong thing in the wrong bag (for example, a can in a red-lettered bag) results in that bag being labeled by the trash men as 'in error', and left at the trash collection point. Often, a kind neighbor will even carry the bag back upstairs and leave it at your door.
Given all these regulations, and the fact that landfill trash is only picked up once every two months (on the second Saturday of the odd month), it is not surprising that I've begun to lead a life dominated by trash, and become excited by these collection days!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Bonenkai （忘年会）Season?
As you've been reading (or, perhaps not?), we've both been extremely busy with work, meetings, conferences and other events. I alone have been to Tokyo more times in one month than in the past year! And just when we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, a weekend where we can ride and rest, read and reflect, we are also edging into Bonenkai season.
Bonenkai －忘年会 － literally means 'forget the year party', and they are a very important part of socializing and working in Japan. It is a time to reflect on all the things that happened during the year and then to put the bad things behind us, so we are ready to start fresh again in the New Year. Of course, these parties usually involve excessive amounts of drinking to help us all relax and forget!
Though it is just mid-November, the festivities for me will begin in just a few short weeks when I attend a party with the Curves crowd, and then there will be parties fairly regularly until the end of December. Brian and I will likely be drinking quite a bit between now and then!
Bonenkai －忘年会 － literally means 'forget the year party', and they are a very important part of socializing and working in Japan. It is a time to reflect on all the things that happened during the year and then to put the bad things behind us, so we are ready to start fresh again in the New Year. Of course, these parties usually involve excessive amounts of drinking to help us all relax and forget!
Though it is just mid-November, the festivities for me will begin in just a few short weeks when I attend a party with the Curves crowd, and then there will be parties fairly regularly until the end of December. Brian and I will likely be drinking quite a bit between now and then!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Evenings in Shinjuku
As Brian blogged, we came to Tokyo yesterday for a four-day huge conference for Teachers of English as a Second or Foreign Language, and we've so far had two good days of conferencing - everything from teaching students how to write email, to how to teach discussion, to using Drupal (a Content Management System) to design interactive websites for teachers or students.
Of course, after conference hours, we enjoyed our time in the big city. Whenever I come to Tokyo, I'm reminded of how invigorating the active night life is, how charged everything seems to be. We walked around Shinjuku again tonight, on our way to a small Turkish kebab diner on the east side of the station.
These photos may show some of the contrast between our city and the biggest city in Japan:
On the 'Romance Car' train from Susono to Shinjuku station:
One of the less busy intersections in Shinjuku (Tokyo):
We have another two days of conference/city life before heading back to our small (by comparison) city and back to work.
Of course, after conference hours, we enjoyed our time in the big city. Whenever I come to Tokyo, I'm reminded of how invigorating the active night life is, how charged everything seems to be. We walked around Shinjuku again tonight, on our way to a small Turkish kebab diner on the east side of the station.
These photos may show some of the contrast between our city and the biggest city in Japan:
On the 'Romance Car' train from Susono to Shinjuku station:
One of the less busy intersections in Shinjuku (Tokyo):
We have another two days of conference/city life before heading back to our small (by comparison) city and back to work.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Conference!
Hello all!
After last night's early evening and on-line pizza ordering test, we are well rested and ready for a 4-day conference (JALT) in Tokyo.
Tracy is bringing a laptop to keep connected at least in the evenings, but otherwise we'll be leaving our tech and other projects behind. If only we could bring the bikes...
After last night's early evening and on-line pizza ordering test, we are well rested and ready for a 4-day conference (JALT) in Tokyo.
Tracy is bringing a laptop to keep connected at least in the evenings, but otherwise we'll be leaving our tech and other projects behind. If only we could bring the bikes...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Pizza La - Order Online!! Woo hoo!
So, after reading about (and envying) people in North America ordering online or via cell phone from Dominoes, I, too, can now enjoy that convenience. Yes, even here in little Susono. Well, not from Dominoes, exactly, but I cruised by the website of Susono's only 'delivery pizza' supplier, the Pizza La chain, earlier today and was overjoyed to discover that I can now order my pizza online.
This is great! Now on Friday nights I'll be able to just get online and place my order, not having to muddle through the usual "What's your phone number?" spiel.
Unlike the amazing Dominoes, here our Pizza La does not allow customizable pizzas. You can only order what they have on the menu. So, if you don't like cream cheese and ham, or tuna, corn and mayonnaise, you've just narrowed down your choices.
My personal favourite is the Pizza La Lite (it's kind of like a pepperoni pizza with mushrooms and green peppers).
Check out their menus (Japanese only) here: http://pizza-la.gnavi.co.jp/n594051/menu3.html?
EDIT: I actually ordered a pizza online last night - it took about 10 minutes or more to navigate the menu, make all my choices, receive a confirmation email to which I had to 'reply'... longer than the 1.5 minute phone call, but fun just the same!
This is great! Now on Friday nights I'll be able to just get online and place my order, not having to muddle through the usual "What's your phone number?" spiel.
Unlike the amazing Dominoes, here our Pizza La does not allow customizable pizzas. You can only order what they have on the menu. So, if you don't like cream cheese and ham, or tuna, corn and mayonnaise, you've just narrowed down your choices.
My personal favourite is the Pizza La Lite (it's kind of like a pepperoni pizza with mushrooms and green peppers).
Check out their menus (Japanese only) here: http://pizza-la.gnavi.co.jp/n594051/menu3.html?
EDIT: I actually ordered a pizza online last night - it took about 10 minutes or more to navigate the menu, make all my choices, receive a confirmation email to which I had to 'reply'... longer than the 1.5 minute phone call, but fun just the same!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday Exploration Ride
We finally managed to get back on the bikes, and it was great. Sunday was a comfortably cool day but still plenty warm enough for short sleeves and shorts, and a great ride in the hills.
We branched out from our usual 'long' weekend ride and headed for a different area; we got into the hills and away from people and traffic fairly quickly. We had tried this road before, but this time we took some of the trails and old paths leading off to the sides.
We never got to the top of the hill, however, since the first few tracks simply stopped or became unrideable. The final road we tried did seem to keep going and going (up and up!), but by that time my single-speeding legs were about to give out, so we filed it away for another day. We will find the end of that last trail!
Here's a little map - zoom in and follow the blue line to see the general area we rode around.
View Larger Map
We branched out from our usual 'long' weekend ride and headed for a different area; we got into the hills and away from people and traffic fairly quickly. We had tried this road before, but this time we took some of the trails and old paths leading off to the sides.
We never got to the top of the hill, however, since the first few tracks simply stopped or became unrideable. The final road we tried did seem to keep going and going (up and up!), but by that time my single-speeding legs were about to give out, so we filed it away for another day. We will find the end of that last trail!
Here's a little map - zoom in and follow the blue line to see the general area we rode around.
View Larger Map
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Computer Project
We haven't ridden our bikes in a week; busy days and fewer daylight hours, along with inherent laziness, has kept us out of shape. However, not all free time was wasted as we have been getting other projects taken care of.
One such project was to build a computer. Between our various upgrades over the past couple of years, and especially since Brian replaced the motherboard in his desktop, we had a whole mess of computer parts cluttering up the floor and closet. All we needed for another full pc was a hard-drive. Brian bought a 500 GB drive, and then we spent our Friday evening building the pc from the ground up.
It was remarkably un-complicated, we had everything we needed, including a decent mouse and an unattractive keyboard. We even had a spare card-reader from a few years ago that for some reason was not compatible with my desktop.
We've named the new PC Frankenstein.
One such project was to build a computer. Between our various upgrades over the past couple of years, and especially since Brian replaced the motherboard in his desktop, we had a whole mess of computer parts cluttering up the floor and closet. All we needed for another full pc was a hard-drive. Brian bought a 500 GB drive, and then we spent our Friday evening building the pc from the ground up.
It was remarkably un-complicated, we had everything we needed, including a decent mouse and an unattractive keyboard. We even had a spare card-reader from a few years ago that for some reason was not compatible with my desktop.
We've named the new PC Frankenstein.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mild Shizuoka
I love living in Japan. This is probably obvious since I've been here for more than ten years now. One of the many things I enjoy is the relatively mild climate. Today, for kicks, I checked the weather forecast for Montreal (my hometown); tomorrow Montreal is expecting a high of six degrees Celsius. And as Halloween approaches, I remember how, as a child, I had to wear a damned winter coat over my costume, and trudge through the snow to go trick or treating. Okay - I'm exaggerating about the amount October snow. But not by much.
On the coast of Eastern Japan, snow is not an issue. For me, the novelty of wearing short-sleeves outdoors in mid-October still has not worn off. On Sunday, Brian and I rode in the mountains, exploring new and old trails, in shorts and short-sleeves, and we worked up quite the sweat. Tomorrow's forecast for us is a high of 24 degrees (C), with a low (a low!!) of 16.
It isn't just about the climate of course, but I have to say that warmth and sunshine make for a happier person. Oh, and the wonderful food, people, and territory help, too!
On the coast of Eastern Japan, snow is not an issue. For me, the novelty of wearing short-sleeves outdoors in mid-October still has not worn off. On Sunday, Brian and I rode in the mountains, exploring new and old trails, in shorts and short-sleeves, and we worked up quite the sweat. Tomorrow's forecast for us is a high of 24 degrees (C), with a low (a low!!) of 16.
It isn't just about the climate of course, but I have to say that warmth and sunshine make for a happier person. Oh, and the wonderful food, people, and territory help, too!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
SCBWI Tokyo Writer's Day
After a busy week, I thought I'd want to stay home and relax for the whole weekend. Yet I found myself oddly looking forward to heading to Tokyo (yet again), this time for a writer's workshop with a friend, Van.
She'd seen an advertisement for the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Writer's Day being held in Shinjuku. The agenda sounded like the topics would appeal to writers and aspiring writers of all genres, and since we both enjoy thinking about eventually writing, we figured we'd join the fun.
And fun it was - interactive, informative, and inspiring. Excellent presentations/lectures by authors Linda Gerber, Irene Smalls and Holly Thomson, as well as a practical lecture by literary agent Linda Rennart with tips on how to find an agent and get published.
This was a full-day event (9:15 a.m. to to 6:15 p.m.), in Shinjuku - a long way from home. But we made the most of our day - I swung by the Kinokuniya bookstore to pick up a couple more paperbacks, went by Oshman's to look at shoes, before heading to Shinagawa where we had an over-sized meal and drinks at The Outback restaurant before catching the shinkansen (bullet train) back home.
Tomorrow, thankfully, is Sunday - a day for a long bike ride with Brian, and perhaps a few beers in the sunshine.
(If you're interested in seeing the outline of today's SCBWI event, check out there website here - http://www.scbwi.jp/ )
She'd seen an advertisement for the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Writer's Day being held in Shinjuku. The agenda sounded like the topics would appeal to writers and aspiring writers of all genres, and since we both enjoy thinking about eventually writing, we figured we'd join the fun.
And fun it was - interactive, informative, and inspiring. Excellent presentations/lectures by authors Linda Gerber, Irene Smalls and Holly Thomson, as well as a practical lecture by literary agent Linda Rennart with tips on how to find an agent and get published.
This was a full-day event (9:15 a.m. to to 6:15 p.m.), in Shinjuku - a long way from home. But we made the most of our day - I swung by the Kinokuniya bookstore to pick up a couple more paperbacks, went by Oshman's to look at shoes, before heading to Shinagawa where we had an over-sized meal and drinks at The Outback restaurant before catching the shinkansen (bullet train) back home.
Tomorrow, thankfully, is Sunday - a day for a long bike ride with Brian, and perhaps a few beers in the sunshine.
(If you're interested in seeing the outline of today's SCBWI event, check out there website here - http://www.scbwi.jp/ )
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Out and about
The weekend workshop was impressive and inspiring; and exhausting! I have to say that I was happy this was a three-day weekend (Monday being Sports Day, a national holiday). I at least got to go for a ride on Monday, and read a book in the sun, and be mind-numbed in front of the TV.
The rest of this week was and will be hectic, however. This morning I'm off to work in Nagoya and Friday I've got to give a presentation at our staff meeting. Saturday I'm supposed to go to Tokyo again with a friend...
Will the fun never end?
The rest of this week was and will be hectic, however. This morning I'm off to work in Nagoya and Friday I've got to give a presentation at our staff meeting. Saturday I'm supposed to go to Tokyo again with a friend...
Will the fun never end?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
ESL Workshop in Tokyo
Just a quick post - I'm on my way out the door, heading for Shinjuku.
I've been invited to participate in a two-day workshop offered by a big ESL publishing house. It will feature presentations by Michael Rost and other significant folks in the field. It should be both, a fun and informative event.
Additional bonus - I get to do a bit of shopping in the big city!
I've been invited to participate in a two-day workshop offered by a big ESL publishing house. It will feature presentations by Michael Rost and other significant folks in the field. It should be both, a fun and informative event.
Additional bonus - I get to do a bit of shopping in the big city!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Japanese Language Proficiency Test, Level 2, July 2009
My nihongo skills have dropped drastically in the past year or two. I simply haven't been using my Japanese as much as I used to, and my studies have stagnated. I blame my teacher, who never complains when I don't do any homework or when I thwart her lesson plans and force free conversation her instead! No, seriously, I need a goal. That's just how I study best. So, I've decided to sit the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), level 2, again. Not in December of course, no WAY! Luckily, in 2009, the levels one and two (the two more advanced levels) will also be held in July in Japan and a few other areas of Asia. So, that's my goal.
Needless to say, my sensei is thrilled. She will no longer have to watch my brutal decline, or my determination to avoid any kind of teaching she may have to offer! I also still have a slew of really good texts and CDs from the last time I sat the test (and failed, duh).
Other news for test takers - in 2010, the levels will shift as a new level will be added. Anyone who has taken the tests will know that there is a huge (HUGE!) gap between san-kyu and ni-kyu (level three and two). Three is fairly easy, two is nearly impossible. So, the new format will introduce a new level, which will fall somewhere between two and three, bridging that gap.
Ah, something to look forward to.
Needless to say, my sensei is thrilled. She will no longer have to watch my brutal decline, or my determination to avoid any kind of teaching she may have to offer! I also still have a slew of really good texts and CDs from the last time I sat the test (and failed, duh).
Other news for test takers - in 2010, the levels will shift as a new level will be added. Anyone who has taken the tests will know that there is a huge (HUGE!) gap between san-kyu and ni-kyu (level three and two). Three is fairly easy, two is nearly impossible. So, the new format will introduce a new level, which will fall somewhere between two and three, bridging that gap.
Ah, something to look forward to.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Photo Restorations for OPR
I mentioned that I have been volunteering for OPR (Operation Photo Rescue). I've done three relatively easy restorations/rescues so far.
Certainly there's room for improvement, but as practise makes perfect I'll keep working on it various photos!
(clicking on the image will give you a larger view):
Certainly there's room for improvement, but as practise makes perfect I'll keep working on it various photos!
(clicking on the image will give you a larger view):
Monday, October 06, 2008
Experiencing Vista - Triple boot with XP and Ubuntu
As you can see from the title, this will be a techie post.
I blogged more than a year ago (nearly two years ago) about my first Ubuntu (Linux) install, dual booting with XP. I chronicled my growing pains as I had to work in under the hood in Linux to get Ubuntu to type in Japanese, to recognize my graphics card, to run my dual-monitor set-up at the native 1440x900 resolution, etc.
All this I succeeded in doing, and I truly love Ubuntu.
However, recently, Brian and I invested in the new(ish) Vista OS from Windows. Like it or not, Vista is the Windows of the future, so we figured we'd better learn it. So, we installed Vista on a separate partition of our drive, keeping our XP in tact. In my case, I installed it on an entirely separate drive, since I bought a terabyte a while back and it's been sitting empty in my pc.
We had been (and still are) reluctant to fully migrate to Vista due to all the complaints that have arisen. Most of the dissatisfaction is in regards to un-supported hardware. And I do agree, we've had some hardware issues. Lucky, my main problem is that my graphics card (the low-end nVidia GeForce 5200) is unsupported, and now my wide-screen monitor cannot be viewed at 1440x900 resolution. I will work more on this tomorrow.
For today, my main concern was that, after installing Vista, the Vista bootloader over-wrote my Grub (Linux) boot loader, and I was only offered two boot options: XP and Vista. Where oh where was my Ubuntu??
So I spent lots of time researching and working on this problem, and was able to solve the issue with a combination of techniques.
First issue: I could not, even with IFS tools, access my Ubuntu partitions from either XP or Vista. Something had occured to render those partitions "RAW".
So, I burned a bootable Ubuntu disk, which also runs as a live CD.
I put the cd in my drive, rebooted, and the PC booted from the CD, and began to run Ubuntu from the CD.
Once there, I could freely navigate my entire pc, including the Ubuntu files. I went to the boot/grub directory and copied menu.lst (my GRUB boot menu file) to a clip drive. I then rebooted in Vista.
In Vista, I downloaded this free utility - EasyBCD. And then I followed part five of this tutorial here - http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_linux_is_already_installed.htm?page=5 (If you're installing Vista from the beginning, start with the beginning of the tutorial).
So, in EasyBCD I created a NeoGrub boot option (by clicking on the NeoGrub tab). I rebooted, and voila - with a minimum of anything really technical, I managed to get my Ubuntu back!
(click for a larger image)
I blogged more than a year ago (nearly two years ago) about my first Ubuntu (Linux) install, dual booting with XP. I chronicled my growing pains as I had to work in under the hood in Linux to get Ubuntu to type in Japanese, to recognize my graphics card, to run my dual-monitor set-up at the native 1440x900 resolution, etc.
All this I succeeded in doing, and I truly love Ubuntu.
However, recently, Brian and I invested in the new(ish) Vista OS from Windows. Like it or not, Vista is the Windows of the future, so we figured we'd better learn it. So, we installed Vista on a separate partition of our drive, keeping our XP in tact. In my case, I installed it on an entirely separate drive, since I bought a terabyte a while back and it's been sitting empty in my pc.
We had been (and still are) reluctant to fully migrate to Vista due to all the complaints that have arisen. Most of the dissatisfaction is in regards to un-supported hardware. And I do agree, we've had some hardware issues. Lucky, my main problem is that my graphics card (the low-end nVidia GeForce 5200) is unsupported, and now my wide-screen monitor cannot be viewed at 1440x900 resolution. I will work more on this tomorrow.
For today, my main concern was that, after installing Vista, the Vista bootloader over-wrote my Grub (Linux) boot loader, and I was only offered two boot options: XP and Vista. Where oh where was my Ubuntu??
So I spent lots of time researching and working on this problem, and was able to solve the issue with a combination of techniques.
First issue: I could not, even with IFS tools, access my Ubuntu partitions from either XP or Vista. Something had occured to render those partitions "RAW".
So, I burned a bootable Ubuntu disk, which also runs as a live CD.
I put the cd in my drive, rebooted, and the PC booted from the CD, and began to run Ubuntu from the CD.
Once there, I could freely navigate my entire pc, including the Ubuntu files. I went to the boot/grub directory and copied menu.lst (my GRUB boot menu file) to a clip drive. I then rebooted in Vista.
In Vista, I downloaded this free utility - EasyBCD. And then I followed part five of this tutorial here - http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_linux_is_already_installed.htm?page=5 (If you're installing Vista from the beginning, start with the beginning of the tutorial).
So, in EasyBCD I created a NeoGrub boot option (by clicking on the NeoGrub tab). I rebooted, and voila - with a minimum of anything really technical, I managed to get my Ubuntu back!
(click for a larger image)
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Hard rides, new pics
That route that I mapped below, though not exactly time-consuming (just under two hours of pedalling time), is truly physically exhausting when you are on single-speeds and having to hump it up the mountain. It is, of course, rewarding, and I don't miss the gnashing noise of the gears, nor the clutter that the cables add to the bike.
We did that same ride again yesterday, exhausting ourselves and earning our beer. We also got a few good pics:
Resting in the woods:
Beer at the end of the ride:
Tacky but photo-worthy pinwheels:
My glowing Orange Clockwork basking in the woods:
We did that same ride again yesterday, exhausting ourselves and earning our beer. We also got a few good pics:
Resting in the woods:
Beer at the end of the ride:
Tacky but photo-worthy pinwheels:
My glowing Orange Clockwork basking in the woods:
Friday, October 03, 2008
Random Updates
I haven’t blogged in a while (and seem to have lost my blogging partner!), so I figured I would just quickly give some updates.
Bikes
The days are again getting shorter, but we’re riding when we can. We’ve gotten stronger since we’ve been doing one “hard” ride per week, usually up to the fire road where we can ride the quiet, hilly ridge for an hour or so before descending by a trail that puts us right at our favourite beer hall. Of course, we then replenish our lost energy with some fine German brews before coasting the rest of the way home.
Zoom in to see our route here:
Weather
Summer has gone, both officially and in actuality. The sun doesn’t rise until after 5:30 a.m. and it sets by 5:30 p.m. too. The evenings are chilly and the mornings, crisp. I’ve woken up with cold toes and had to put on socks.
Interests
We still netsurf too much, but I’m also spending more time reading. I’m just about finished a memoir by Andrea Ashworth titled, Once in a House on Fire, which I mooched on Book Mooch. Not exactly uplifting, but a very well-written and gripping memoir. If you like memoirs. Which I do.
Work
Is work. We’re busy as usual, but I am looking forward to attending one large conference at the end of this month, and a much smaller workshop next weekend.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Japan's New Prime Minister
I've decided that I really do have to get my head out of the sand (a.k.a. away from the computer) and pay attention to the world around me. I know all the internet memes, I've seen Two Girls, One Cup (I definitely don't recommend it), and I've Dugg a few cool articles.
I even sort of know what's going on in the world at large. I know about the U.S. Presidential campaign, I know that David Letterman was miffed at McLean, and I actually know who the key players are.
What I didn't know was that Japan's Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, stepped down on September 2nd, and we now have a new PM, Taro Aso. So like I said, time to start reading the Japan Times again, and watching the news on TV.
I even sort of know what's going on in the world at large. I know about the U.S. Presidential campaign, I know that David Letterman was miffed at McLean, and I actually know who the key players are.
What I didn't know was that Japan's Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, stepped down on September 2nd, and we now have a new PM, Taro Aso. So like I said, time to start reading the Japan Times again, and watching the news on TV.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Operation Photo Rescue
So I hibernated on Saturday, but at least ventured out to do some groceries and miscellaneous errands. I needed a day of rest - but little did I know that the rest of the long weekend would be seeing some of the heaviest wind and rain, and some of the fiercest thunder and lightening, that we'd had in a long time. So several days of rest meant, of course, that I could work on all my projects...
Of course not. Instead I found a new past-time to help me further procrastinate the works in progress - Operation Photo Rescue (OPR). This is an organization set up to take and restore photos for people who've suffered fires, floods or other disasters that have destroyed their photos. I signed up to be a volunteer to restore some of these photos.
As an amateur Photoshop-ist, I really enjoy having short-term goals that let me hone my skills and sharpen my artistic eye at the same time, and I'm now busily working on my second and third photo restorals for OPR.
And there's a human side, too. My current photo is from, probably, the early 1900's, and as I work to recreate the faded details, I can't help but think of this man, probably long dead, but still living on through his ancestors, and I enjoy the project.
Just what I need - another distraction, another reason to procrastinate.
Of course not. Instead I found a new past-time to help me further procrastinate the works in progress - Operation Photo Rescue (OPR). This is an organization set up to take and restore photos for people who've suffered fires, floods or other disasters that have destroyed their photos. I signed up to be a volunteer to restore some of these photos.
As an amateur Photoshop-ist, I really enjoy having short-term goals that let me hone my skills and sharpen my artistic eye at the same time, and I'm now busily working on my second and third photo restorals for OPR.
And there's a human side, too. My current photo is from, probably, the early 1900's, and as I work to recreate the faded details, I can't help but think of this man, probably long dead, but still living on through his ancestors, and I enjoy the project.
Just what I need - another distraction, another reason to procrastinate.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Heavy Cloud but No Rain
I didn't get to enjoy the sound of the rain today, but it rained and blew enough during the night that I don't feel too deprived. And I didn't feel guilty doing very little today (thanks, Karin!). I didn't read my mystery/thriller/romance novel, but I did some relaxing and puttering around, playing with Photoshop, a little shopping and not much else.
Tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow is a day of activity, a day when I ride!
Gotta go - our dinner pizza is here!
Tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow is a day of activity, a day when I ride!
Gotta go - our dinner pizza is here!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Praying for Rain
I feel guilty even saying this. We've got a typhoon on the way - it's raining now, and is supposed to rain tomorrow and Saturday, too. And contrary to my usual pleas for a nice weekend, I'm praying that it does rain on Saturday. If it rains, I'll be able to lounge around in a grungy t-shirt, read a cheesy novel, and watch DVDs. I'm sort of looking forward to a day of 'vegging', and I know that if it's nice, I will simply have to go out to enjoy the weather. A long bike ride or even a weekend camping trip...
I suppose my choices aren't so bad!
I suppose my choices aren't so bad!
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Great Procrastinator
That is my new official title from now on. I think I may not excel at many things, but at procrastinating there are none better. I am perhaps the only person who can get bored because she has run out of things to do when procrastinating!
Sometimes I procrastinate blogging - avoid it, find something else to do. Sometimes, like now, I'm blogging to further procrastinate the other projects (far too many) that I have either "on the go" and waiting to get started.
Some things I should be doing today on this holiday Monday:
Oh - and what things do I do to help me procrastinate?
From the majority of items in this list, it appears that, though my real-world social life is non-existent, I have an excellent virtual social life. I even have virtual "friends":-) !!
Sometimes I procrastinate blogging - avoid it, find something else to do. Sometimes, like now, I'm blogging to further procrastinate the other projects (far too many) that I have either "on the go" and waiting to get started.
Some things I should be doing today on this holiday Monday:
- Maintaining and updating the Japan Rider website, which I haven't even touched in months
- Updating our online photo albums
- Putting together some projects in Photoshop, watching some of the many tutorials I have downloaded but not used.
- Make some new CDs for my car
- Japanese homework/study/tv watching - anything at all in Japanese!
Oh - and what things do I do to help me procrastinate?
From the majority of items in this list, it appears that, though my real-world social life is non-existent, I have an excellent virtual social life. I even have virtual "friends":-) !!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Mountain Biking Tips
I came across an article in Men's Health (via Digg - I don't habitually read Men's Health) that captures the feeling, the wa, of mountain biking, and has six great tips for those just getting into it.
Check out the article here.
Check out the article here.
I Just did a Single Speed Ride
OKAY. So, I'm writing this right after a good, hard ride on my Clockwork bike. I'm tired. I'm delirious, even. My arms are so tired that I'm thankful to not have to move them too much during the typing. Why are my arms tired when I was riding a bike (which takes legs, not arms)? Single Speeding does take arms. When you are humping it uphill, steeply, in only one gear, you've simply got to stand up as you pedal and pull with your arms as you ride.
But this overall exhaustion is a good feeling. I've worked out a bit harder than usual. I deserve today's wine.
Single Speeding is the most rewarding biking I've ever done. I converted more than two years ago and haven't looked back, even though I'm living in a valley!
But this overall exhaustion is a good feeling. I've worked out a bit harder than usual. I deserve today's wine.
Single Speeding is the most rewarding biking I've ever done. I converted more than two years ago and haven't looked back, even though I'm living in a valley!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Ditch iTunes, get Media Monkey
A few months ago I bought my first iPod. I'd been avoiding the iPod due to its proprietary nature and the need to use iTunes to "sync" (a.k.a. delete music without telling me) my iPod. I knew of several iPod alternatives (here are 10 alternatives), but figured just to go ahead and learn about iTunes.
I tried it, and I absolutely hate it, both in principle and due to its poor functioning. First to annoy me was the constant prompting to "synch my iPod", and, even when I didn't, how sometimes tunes would just go missing. My iPod even had some functioning problems which I blame iTunes for. Next thing to get me was how much of a memory hog iTunes is. It's a huge program that wants to start up whenever I plug in my iPod. The proverbial straw, however, was the realization that my 2nd generation iShuffle will not charge even when attached to the pc unless iTunes is running.
I refuse to be held prisoner. I bought a separate power charger, downloaded Media Monkey, and have not looked back.
I felt especially vindicated today when I read about the serious and sneaky problems with iTunes 8, the latest version of the software (read more here). Seems that, at least on Vista, running iTunes 8 caused the user to receive the "Blue Screen of Death". iTunes says it's fixed this.
This will not be a problem for me in any case, since I removed iTunes from my pc and began using the free and powerful Media Monkey. Download it here.
PS - I should add here that on my Linux system I use Rhythmbox, which I really, really like, too.
I tried it, and I absolutely hate it, both in principle and due to its poor functioning. First to annoy me was the constant prompting to "synch my iPod", and, even when I didn't, how sometimes tunes would just go missing. My iPod even had some functioning problems which I blame iTunes for. Next thing to get me was how much of a memory hog iTunes is. It's a huge program that wants to start up whenever I plug in my iPod. The proverbial straw, however, was the realization that my 2nd generation iShuffle will not charge even when attached to the pc unless iTunes is running.
I refuse to be held prisoner. I bought a separate power charger, downloaded Media Monkey, and have not looked back.
I felt especially vindicated today when I read about the serious and sneaky problems with iTunes 8, the latest version of the software (read more here). Seems that, at least on Vista, running iTunes 8 caused the user to receive the "Blue Screen of Death". iTunes says it's fixed this.
This will not be a problem for me in any case, since I removed iTunes from my pc and began using the free and powerful Media Monkey. Download it here.
PS - I should add here that on my Linux system I use Rhythmbox, which I really, really like, too.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
First "Big" Ride on my Clockwork Orange
A "Big" ride is subjective. What is big really? How far/long/hard do you have to ride before it can be considered a "big ride"?
Years ago, as a roadie riding a super-light bike on super-smooth and super-flat surfaces, if someone had said that they'd just ridden 30km and were now exhausted, I'd have laughed. 30km was less than a warm-up ride for me and my very nerdy cycling club. Most regular days I'd easily ride more than 40 or 50 km. Weekend rides with the club were usually 110 km or so.
But I've had a paradigm shift; mountain bikes are heavier and built for rough terrain, not speed and distance. Moreover, I ride a single-speed 29er (no gears, and bigger tires means a bit more power required to get going), and I live and ride in the mountains. High mountains!
So today's big ride (the hardest so far with my new custom bike) was a mere 30km, and it was wonderful and it was exhausting. And when we finally, thankfully, descended off road, we were in the backyard of our favourite beer hall!
Here are some pics we took along the way there and back:
His and hers - both frames designed and built by Joel Greenblatt at Clockwork Bikes:
My orange Clockwork 29er in a field of golden rice:
Brian snapped this dragon fly on a blade of grass:
Years ago, as a roadie riding a super-light bike on super-smooth and super-flat surfaces, if someone had said that they'd just ridden 30km and were now exhausted, I'd have laughed. 30km was less than a warm-up ride for me and my very nerdy cycling club. Most regular days I'd easily ride more than 40 or 50 km. Weekend rides with the club were usually 110 km or so.
But I've had a paradigm shift; mountain bikes are heavier and built for rough terrain, not speed and distance. Moreover, I ride a single-speed 29er (no gears, and bigger tires means a bit more power required to get going), and I live and ride in the mountains. High mountains!
So today's big ride (the hardest so far with my new custom bike) was a mere 30km, and it was wonderful and it was exhausting. And when we finally, thankfully, descended off road, we were in the backyard of our favourite beer hall!
Here are some pics we took along the way there and back:
His and hers - both frames designed and built by Joel Greenblatt at Clockwork Bikes:
My orange Clockwork 29er in a field of golden rice:
Brian snapped this dragon fly on a blade of grass:
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Solo Ride
I hadn't gone for a long, hard bike ride without company in a long, long time. But that's what I did on Monday as I had a day off. I saddled up my new Clockwork Orange, filled up my Camelbak, and headed out into the mountains.
There are a lot of things that I like about solo rides, but one thing I most appreciate is being more un-alone than when alone. I didn't see much of anyone on the streets, and once off-road there was just me and the bike and a few stray thoughts.
Another thing I like about solo rides though is that I can walk whenever I feel like it, and I can scream down the hills at full speed without ever catching up to anyone!
There are a lot of things that I like about solo rides, but one thing I most appreciate is being more un-alone than when alone. I didn't see much of anyone on the streets, and once off-road there was just me and the bike and a few stray thoughts.
Another thing I like about solo rides though is that I can walk whenever I feel like it, and I can scream down the hills at full speed without ever catching up to anyone!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Follow Blogs in your Blogger Account
I've been using Google Reader to keep track of various blogs and their updates, but I just recently noticed on the Blogger Dashboard (when first signing in to Blogger), that there is now an option to follow your favourite blogs right there. Although I'm satisfied with Google Reader, I'm going to give the Blogger "blog follower" a trial run.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Book Mooch
About a month or so ago I came across a pretty cool book exchanging website called Book Mooch (http://www.bookmooch.com). Being too busy to really let myself get into anything else that would only help me procrastinate on the things I was busy procrastinating on, I simply book marked it and planned to come back to it later. And so this morning I did get back to it.
I signed up, and browsed around a little, trying to remember exactly what this site was about. I saw that I could list some of my books that I wanted to get rid of, and for every book that somebody mooched off me I would get a point and be able to mooch from someone else. I would also get mooch points for every ten books I posted.
There are several sites like this, I know, but this one has a pretty big community even in Japan, and there is no cost for using the site other than the cost of shipping to send your books to someone else. So I went ahead listed a hand full of books that I am tired of having sitting around here, and that was it. Within a few hours a German woman living in Nagoya contacted me via Book Mooch and requested a book that I had on offer. I'll simply drop by the post office tomorrow to ship it. Very cool.
Now I wonder whether anyone else out there wants my books??
I signed up, and browsed around a little, trying to remember exactly what this site was about. I saw that I could list some of my books that I wanted to get rid of, and for every book that somebody mooched off me I would get a point and be able to mooch from someone else. I would also get mooch points for every ten books I posted.
There are several sites like this, I know, but this one has a pretty big community even in Japan, and there is no cost for using the site other than the cost of shipping to send your books to someone else. So I went ahead listed a hand full of books that I am tired of having sitting around here, and that was it. Within a few hours a German woman living in Nagoya contacted me via Book Mooch and requested a book that I had on offer. I'll simply drop by the post office tomorrow to ship it. Very cool.
Now I wonder whether anyone else out there wants my books??
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Curves in Susono
Yes, there is Curves in Japan. And a very small branch opened up here in Susono about two years ago. Ironically, they opened just after I was officially thrown out of the prestigious gym that I'd become a member of a few kilometres down the road. Some readers may remember my ignominious blackballing from that gym (which was a really really nice gym with a swimming pool, sauna and outdoor bath!!) -
http://japanrider.blogspot.com/2006/06/body-art-or-tattoos.html
Well, after being disgruntled, after avoiding Curves (and any other 'nice' place), I finally bit the bullet and I joined Curves right here in Susono. I had always thought that Curves was kinda lame, but actually, I'm so far really enjoying my time there. The two women who staff the place are really genki (lively), and really encourage chatting with other members. This is likely to improve my Japanese, and maybe some of the ladies will eventually get over their shyness enough to try some English.
I plan to keep a low(ish) profile, keep my tats covered, and workout in harmony with the other folks! Let's hope they don't read blogs:-)
http://japanrider.blogspot.com/2006/06/body-art-or-tattoos.html
Well, after being disgruntled, after avoiding Curves (and any other 'nice' place), I finally bit the bullet and I joined Curves right here in Susono. I had always thought that Curves was kinda lame, but actually, I'm so far really enjoying my time there. The two women who staff the place are really genki (lively), and really encourage chatting with other members. This is likely to improve my Japanese, and maybe some of the ladies will eventually get over their shyness enough to try some English.
I plan to keep a low(ish) profile, keep my tats covered, and workout in harmony with the other folks! Let's hope they don't read blogs:-)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
First Ride on the Clockwork
This morning's weather was ideal for a pre-work ride - clear skies and cool air. So for the first time I got to ride my custom 29er - and what a sweet ride it was. It feels very different from the Rig; as one would expect, it fits me much better and I'm sure that it will be more physically comfortable for longer rides. The steel frame, although heavier than my Rig, is simply amazing.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
My Custom 29er Singlespeed from Clockwork Bikes
I haven't posted any updates on my frame in at least a month. However, no news was good news. Joel Greenblatt (Clockwork Bikes) finished building, painting and finishing my frame. I was anxiously awaiting delivery when my nephew came for his visit, so when the frame arrived I decided to put it on hold for a while. But today was finally my day to spend time building it up. With (a lot of) help from Brian, I took the parts of my Gary Fisher Rig and used them on my new frame.
History of my bike:
In the beginning - my new frame takes shape in Joel's workshop:
The frame, finished:
Cannibalizing the Rig - here I'm just taking off the pedals. I bought a new set of Deore cranks for my frame:
Building my bike - here we're putting in the headset:
And finally - my very own Clockwork Orange. As I've mentioned, I'm especially short for 29er riding (156 cm), so notice the cute swoop of the top tube:
What a great feeling to start with the bare bones and end with a (beautifully) finished, fine-tuned machine. I sat on the bike (of course!) and it feels great so far; however, the weather today has been unfit to ride in, and since I'll probably have to tweak a few things on the road I decided to postpone the Virgin Ride till a later date. Tomorrow morning hopefully.
History of my bike:
In the beginning - my new frame takes shape in Joel's workshop:
The frame, finished:
Cannibalizing the Rig - here I'm just taking off the pedals. I bought a new set of Deore cranks for my frame:
Building my bike - here we're putting in the headset:
And finally - my very own Clockwork Orange. As I've mentioned, I'm especially short for 29er riding (156 cm), so notice the cute swoop of the top tube:
What a great feeling to start with the bare bones and end with a (beautifully) finished, fine-tuned machine. I sat on the bike (of course!) and it feels great so far; however, the weather today has been unfit to ride in, and since I'll probably have to tweak a few things on the road I decided to postpone the Virgin Ride till a later date. Tomorrow morning hopefully.
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